Doctors said her gangrenous appendix was just anxiety. She’s not alone
not have specific data on gender bias in emergency departments, but that they are committed to providing equitable care to all patients.
Dr. David Thomas, head of emergency services at Eastern Health, said in an interview that he was unaware of any widespread issues with dismissing women’s pain in emergency departments in St. John’s. He noted that appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose, and that many patients with abdominal pain do not have appendicitis.
“We have a very dedicated and skilled group of health-care professionals working in our emergency departments who are trained to recognize and respond to a wide range of medical conditions,” Thomas said.
However, Spence and the other women who spoke to CBC News say they felt dismissed and ignored by medical staff when they sought help for their severe pain. They believe that their gender played a role in the delay in receiving a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
For Spence, the experience has left her emotionally scarred and deeply mistrustful of the health-care system.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feeling of being left to suffer in pain, thinking I was going to die, and nobody caring,” she said. “It’s a trauma that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Spence is now considering legal action against the hospitals where she sought help, and is speaking out to raise awareness about the importance of taking women’s pain seriously in emergency departments.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I went through,” she said. “Women deserve to be heard and believed when they say they are in pain. Our lives depend on it.”
